History Takes Flight On Vintage Bomber

Maybe it was the history behind it or the chance to see how American servicemen risked their lives in World War II in what amounted to flying tin cans.

Then again, maybe it was the dozen .50-caliber machine guns on a vintage B25H Mitchell Bomber that turned a group of five grown men into giddy boys Saturday morning.

"We can make a big mess out of something," joked Tom Blackburn, 75, of West Palm Beach, eyeing the guns before takeoff.

The bomber is visiting as part of the traveling History Flight, a nonprofit organization dedicated to immersing people in the aviation history of World War II. Blackburn and four others, including Pittsburgh Steelers owner Pat Rooney Sr., squeezed into the Barbie III B25 and strapped in.

For Rooney, 70, who has a home in Palm Beach Gardens, the flight was a dream come true.

"I remember the end of the second world war. I'm a history guy," he said. "This is great for a guy like me."

The plane's engines started with a rumble, shaking the whole thing like a jalopy plodding down a bumpy road. It accelerated for takeoff and the rumble turned to a roar as it surged into the chilly air.

The plane itself is Spartan and cramped. The "seats" are little more than tiny square cushions wedged together on welded metal frames. You can see some of the guts of the plane - gears and pulleys that help guide it - at work as the pilot maneuvers.

"They really have to muscle and manhandle that airplane," said Tom Sheridan, 35, a Broward Sheriff's deputy and aviation buff who took the flight.

Then, there are the guns.

Rooney's brother, John Rooney, swung the side-mounted machine guns and made his way to the tail guns, which sat in a 3-foot-high crawl space.

"It was a little snug," he said.

Their friend Jim DeBlasio, 70, cut his leg wiggling toward the same guns.

"He gets the Purple Heart!" joked Pat Rooney after the flight.

"It was a ricochet bullet!" DeBlasio deadpanned.

After the flight, a History Flight representative handed the men small, metal pins - their wings.

None hesitated. Pat and John Rooney and the wounded DeBlasio pinned them to their shirts on the spot, boyish grins on their faces.

The History Flight remains in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, then visits Lantana Jan. 9 and 10. It will be in Miami Jan. 16 and 17. For prices and availability, call 888-743-3311 or visit historyflight.com